Kent executive directors to take pay cut as club outline cost-cutting measures

The indefinite delay to the new season means the Canterbury side have taken steps to ensure they can stay afloat during the period of uncertainty

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Kent have revealed a number of cost-cutting measures the club are implementing to help deal with the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic.

The ECB have delayed the professional season until at least May 28, meaning the campaign is at best likely to be delayed and heavily truncated.

Counties up and down the country are awaiting further clarity on the schedule but many are braced for a tough 2020 with limited cricket.

Several clubs have formed specialist panels to deal with the situation, with Kent among the first to reveal their plans to cope with the crisis.

Executive directors are taking a 20 per cent pay cut for a short period to help deal with the inevitable shortfall of income.

All non-contractual capital expenditure will be ceased while outgoings will be kept to the lowest level possible.

Furthermore, the club will investigate how they can take advantage of a series of government initiatives to support businesses during this period of uncertainty.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has pledged to pay employees 80 per cent of the salaries, capped at £2,500, and grant loans of £5 million to businesses with a turnover of less than £45 million.

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For the year ending October 31 2019, Kent reported an annual turnover over of £4.77 million.

Conversations are also ongoing regarding the loan the club took out with Canterbury City Council.

“The Club’s COVID-19 Task Force are fully versed on the financial status of the club," chief executive Simon Storey said.

“We are pursuing all options vigorously and risk mitigation measures are already being identified and, where appropriate, being put in place.

“We are working closely with the ECB and our fellow FCCs to ensure that a game-wide plan is in place to cover the various scenarios, be that a shortened season or no season at all.

“We believe that everyone in the cricket family across the UK is approaching this crisis with a desire to act in the best interests of the game’s stakeholders, at all levels.

“The situation continues to move extremely rapidly and although we face an incredibly difficult and complex set of challenges, we remain optimistic that with support of our key partners and stakeholders, we can navigate a route through this crisis.”